Former ETSU track and field coach dies

The track and field community and East Tennessee State University are remembering the life and legacy of David E. Walker, their longtime coach.

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. -

The track and field community and East Tennessee State University are remembering the life and legacy of David E. Walker, their longtime coach.

The former ETSU track and field and cross country coach died on Saturday after a brief illness.

Walker's coaching career spanned more than five decades. He's credited with bringing ETSU's athletic programs to the national stage after winning several championships.

Ray Jones, one of Walker's former runners tells us that Walker was more than a coach, he was a mentor. "He molded you as a man as well as a runner," said Jones. "Everything you did, he held you accountable for and the mistakes you made. He watched to see if you made them twice and you very rarely ever did."

Walker played football at ETSU. He went on to play professional football for the Baltimore Colts and Cleveland Browns before he returning to his alma mater as a coach.